New Beginnings
by ShirokiRyuu
Summary: A short missing scene from the end of the Alcatraz Duel Tower arc.


Author's Note: My first FF (dot) net fic! This is a short little one-shot, as most of my fics are, and I must say I'm fairly happy with this one. It's slightly non-canon – assume that Odion didn't wake up until right after Yami and Marik's duel ended. Using dub names for now, because I'm still not sure of Odion's "official" Japanese name; may change in the future. 

Oh, and no matter how much it may seem like it, this is not a yaoi fic. I do not approve of this pairing. :: shudder ::

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, the Rod would have a dagger, Seto wouldn't be a jerk, the Fairy Lily wouldn't attack with a crayon, and Yami wouldn't leave. Since none of the above are true, I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.

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NEW BEGINNINGS

By ShirokiRyuu

Light. That was the first thing that came to my awareness. There was light all round me, a sharp change from the last experience my mind remembered. I was lying flat on my back on some hard surface. Dull aches throbbed throughout my body, but my mind, intent on discovering where I was, barely registered the pain. I struggled feebly to open my eyes, which felt weighted down somehow. The light dazzled me for a second, then I began to take in my surroundings. Spotless white walls, strange machines humming all around me, a white ceiling overhead, a few beds like the one I was lying on, a large, dark window at one end of the plain room. I began to register voices, speaking softly. Of course, he was the first thought that came to my mind, and I panicked for a second, my brain somehow convinced that he was in danger. My head turned slowly, throbbing in protest of this sudden motion, looking for him, hoping he was here, but seeing nothing. Fear rose in my chest, but then I saw him sitting in a corner of the room, unhurt, hugging his knees to his chest, his eyes aimed downward, and I calmed myself. Trying to steady my breathing, which was somehow labored, I slowly moved my arms and legs, wincing at the residual pain. I made no effort to sit up, convinced by the aches that I should remain still for now. I tried vaguely to remember what had happened to cause the pain that I was feeling, but my memory was dim. I recalled danger, the sharp cracks of lightning bolts, and some great sense of evil, but that was all. _But_, I reminded myself, _it doesn't matter now. He's here, and he's safe. I don't care about anything else._

As my senses sluggishly became more aware, I began to take greater notice of the people around me. There was no one very near me, and I realized that none of the three figures in the room had noticed that I had awakened. He still sat there, eyes downcast, looking somewhat out of place, nervous, and a little lost. Next to him, I saw a small boy, sitting cross-legged on the floor and chattering happily. I vaguely recognized him, but what was his name...? My mind was still working slowly. Turning my attention to the left of my small bed, I saw another figure, a taller, older boy who was silent. He was pretending to take great interest in some strange machine, I noticed, but he kept glancing over toward the smaller boy, watching him with a protective intensity. Slowly turning my head to the right, I watched the two on the floor, and the words of the young boy began to reach my ears. "I'm sure you'll fit in just fine, Marik," he was saying, "now that all this stuff is over." He paused to draw a breath and went on thoughtfully, "I mean, it wasn't really your fault. We all saw what happened. It wasn't really you doing all that bad stuff." At this, Marik's head lifted and he looked at the boy, hope coming into his eyes. "It's kinda like what happened with my brother, Seto," the boy continued. "He did some bad stuff, too, but it wasn't really him doing it, it was..." He seemed to struggle for words. "It was his anger, sort of. But then that anger went away, and he's awesome now." The older boy smiled slightly at this, though his gaze did not leave the machine before him. I suddenly remembered these two, that they were brothers. My mind registered them as enemies, but the youth's words were friendly, so I remained still and continued to listen. "I don't know where I'd be without my brother," the boy continued. "He's all I've got, since our parents died a long time ago. I don't even really remember my mom or my dad. Just my big brother." Here he paused thoughtfully, as if considering something.

"I have a brother, too," Marik spoke up quietly, his voice so different from the sound I was used to. The anger and bitterness were gone from his tone. It brought back memories of better times, long buried in my mind underneath years of pain. He looked up at me and smiled, the tenseness somehow gone from his body. "His name is Odion."

END

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Did you figure out who the four characters were? If yes, then I have been successful.

Reviews welcome! Positive is nice, critical is helpful, so go ahead.


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